Pacific Bus Museum Restoring 1932 Twin Coach Model 15

The Pacific Bus Museum is seeking donations fo complete the restoration of the museum’s oldest bus, East Bay Transit Lines 308, a 1932 Twin Coach Model 15. 308 was acquired by the museum in 1995 and was stored along with a number of the museum’s non-running buses in Williams, California. In the later part of 2014 the bus museum was approached by the Restoration Shop at the San Jose History Park in San Jose, California with an offer to have their volunteers restore the bus.

A plan was implemented whereby the bus museum would be responsible for the repair or replacement of certain mechanical components and provide the Restoration Shop the parts they needed for the cosmetic and remaining mechanical restoration of the bus by their volunteers. Shortly thereafter the bus was transported to Martinez, California, where bus museum volunteers put the bus in movable condition after which it was transported to the Restoration Shop in San Jose where their volunteers began their restoration work.

Since 2015 the museum has spent more than $30,000 on the restoration of its 1932 Model 15 Twin Coach 308. Funds for this restoration came from a special museum account for the 308 that was applied to the mechanical and cosmetic restoration work done in part by the PBM and all of the work done by the Restoration Shop at the San Jose History Park. This included repairs to the engine, transmission, brakes and new tires. Removal of all exterior paint, repair of the frame and placement of selected exterior body panels and reconditioning of other exterior body parts, new sub flooring and rebuilding of the seat platforms, and new seat frames and upholstered seat cushions and seat backs. Currently 308 is operable with mechanical, electric and body repairs recently completed.

At the current time this special account for 308 is depleted and additional funds are needed to finish the remaining work that involves completing the restoration of the exterior and remaining parts of the interior. This includes fabrication of one new window frame and replacement of various window glass panels, fabrication of a radiator grill and complete painting of the interior and exterior, flooring and miscellaneous parts and materials. Estimates for this remaining work total $11,950.